Device for stripping a part from an article to which it is attached



Aug. 28, 1962 G. J. NOVAK DEVICE FOR STRIPPING 3,050,835 A PART FROM AN ARTICLE TO WHICH IT IS ATTACHED 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1960 1 NOW/Z Aug. 28, 1962 G. J. NOVAK 3,050,835

DEVICE FOR STRIPPING A PART FROM AN ARTICLE TO WHICH IT IS ATTACHED Filed March 21, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I: TJ

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3,050,835 DEVICE FOR STPENG A PART FROM AN ARTICLE TO WHICH IT IS AITACHED George J. Novak, Riverside, 111., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 16,226 Claims. (Cl. 29-203) This invention relates to a device for stripping a thin part from the side of an article to which it is attached, and more particularly to a device for removing a defective hinge spring from an armature to which a portion of the spring is wrapped around and spot welded.

In one type of wire spring relay, a Ushaped armature is supported for pivotal movement by a flat U-sha-ped hinge spring which has enlarged end portions wrapped around the ends of the U-shaped armature and spot welded thereto. During the operation of attaching the springs to the MHIQILIIES or during subsequent operations such as bending the springs, the springs may become damaged and the armature components rendered defective. It has been found to be economically desirable to remove the :hinge springs from the armature in order that the armatures may be reused.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for stripping a thin part from the side of an article .to which the part is attached.

v the sides of the article.

With these and other objects in view, the invention contemplates the provision of a slotted holder for receiving a fiat article, a latch for locking the article therein and a tubular carrier telescoped over the holder for supporting a pair of pivoted stripping jaws for longitudinal movement therewith parallel to and on opposite sides of the article.

A pair of cam members floatingly mounted between the holder and the carrier and between and in engagement with the jaws and the side walls of the tubular carrier have sloping surfaces for moving the jaws into engagement with the sides of the article and for maintaining this engagement as the jaws are advanced longitudinally with the carrier by power-driven actuating means to effect the stripping from the article of a thin part that is secured to opposite sides thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description thereof and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device embodying the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are front views of armature components of different sizes of the type to be acted on in the present device; 7

FIG. 4 is a side view of the armature component shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan elevational sectional view of the device shovn'ng the parts thereof in normal unoperative position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing an armature in the device and showing the stripping jaws of the device in the position occupied on completion of the stripping movement;

FIG. 7 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device taken on line 88 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the device set up to act on armature components having short armatures.

Referring to the drawings, the present device is designed to strip defective U-shaped hinge springs 15 (FIGS. 2 and 3) from U-shaped armatures 16 of armature components used in wire spring relays. The U- shaped hinge springs 15 are made from thin flat spring steel .005 in thickness and have enlarged end portions 18 on the legs thereof which are placed in overlapping relation to the ends of the armature legs, wrapped therearound, and spot welded thereto at 19 to secure fixedly the hinge springs 15 to the armatures 16. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the armatures 16 are of two sizes, the legs of the long armature (FIG. 2) being of greater length-than those of the short armature (FIG. 3). As clearly shown in FIG. 4, the portions 18 of the spring 15 which overlap the end portions of the armatures 16 are disposed on opposite sides of the ends of the armature legs and form shoulders projecting laterally from opposite sides thereof.

The device for stripping the spring 15 from the armature 16 comprises a holder in the form of a horizontally disposed block of rectangular cross section which is fixedly mounted to a vertically disposed frame plate 26 mounted on a suitable support such as a bench or work table. The holder 25, which has a predetermined height or thickness substantially equal to the distance between the legs of the armatures 16, has a slot 27 formed in one end thereof for receiving the armatures 16 therein. The

end 28 of'the slot 27 forms a stop engageable with the end 29 of the long armature 16 for locating the overlapping portion 18 of the spring 15 in a predetermined position longitudinally of the holder.

A latching bar 32 which is slidably mounted in a slot 33 in the holder 25 is movable from a normal unoperative position (FIG. 5) to an operative position (FIG. 6) for fitting between the legs of the armature 16 and engaging the cross head 34 thereof to locate the armature vertically in a predetermined position and to lock it in fixed position relative to the holder with the overlapping end portions 18 of the hinge spring 15 in a predetermined stripping position. A rod 36 extends from the latching bar 32 and has an upwardly directed end 37 fitting in a recess 38' in an actuating lever 39 pivotally supported at 40 on the stationary frame plate 26. The end 37 of the rod 36 is locked to the operating lever 38 by a latch 44 which is secured to a pin 45 oscillatably' mounted on the lever 39.

When the hinge springs 15 are to be removed from the short armatures 16, the latch 44 is turned through one-half of a revolution from the position shown in FIG. 5 to release the rod 36 and the latching "bar 32 is advanced to its operative position (FIG. 9) where it serves as a stop for engaging the end 29 of a short armature 16 so as to position it with the overlapping end portions 18 of the hinge spring 15 in the same predetermined stripping position relative to the holder 25 as that occupled by the overlapping portions 18 of a hinge spring 15 on a long armature 16 in the device.

A second latching bar is slidably mounted on the holder 25 for movement from a normal retracted position (FIG. 5) to an operative position in which it fits between the legs of the short armature 16 and engages the cross head 34 thereof to lock the short armature in position on the holder. A rod 51 extending from the latch bar 50 has an upturned end 52 which rides in a slot 53 in the lever 39 and serves to pivotally connect the latching bar 50 to the lever 39 for actuation thereby. A spring 54- mounted in a reces 55 in the frame plate 26 urges the lever 39 to its normal retracted position as shown in FIGS. 1 and and the lever 39 has a handle 56 on one end thereof by means of which it is manually actuated.

Telescopingly mounted on the stationary holder 25 for longitudinal sliding movement relative thereto is a carrier 60 in the form of a tubular housing of rectangular cross section open at one end to permit the insertion of the armatures 16 into the holder 25. The carrier 60 includes upper and lower walls 61 and 62, respectively, and a pair of side walls 63 and 64 and an end wall 65, the walls being provided with suitable clearance slots for the rods 36 and 51 and portions of the frame plate 26.

Stripping jaws 69 are mounted on the carrier 60 above and below the holder 25 and on opposite sides of the slot 28 therein and have end portions 70 engageable with opposite sides of the legs of the armature 16 and the ends of the portions 18 of the hinge spring 15 for stripping the hinge spring from the armature. At their other ends the jaws 69 are pivotally mounted on pins 73 to the upper and lower walls 61 and 62 of the carrier 60 for longitudinal movement therewith and for lateral movement of the ends 70 thereof into and out of engagement with the legs of an armature 16 supported in the holder 25. Springs 74 urge the jaws 69 away from each other into engagement with cam elements 77 positioned between the jaws 69 and the side walls 63 and 64 of the carrier 60.

The cam elements 77 are in the form of elongated bars engaging the side walls of the housing 60, the side walls serving as guides for guiding the elements 77 for longitudinal movement and against lateral outward movement. Laterally and inwardly directed enlarged ends on the elements 77 have sloping cam surfaces 78 which engage sloping cam surfaces 79 on the end portions 70 of the stripping jaws 69. Springs 80 abutting against vertically disposed flanged portions 81 on one end of the holder 25 urge the cam members 77 in a direction to impart movement to the stripping jaws 69 toward each other and the armature 16, the movement of the camming member 77 being arrested by stop pins 83 fixedly mounted on the holder 25. It will thus be seen that the cam elements 77 are floatingly mounted for longitudinal movement relative to the holder 25, the carrier 60 and stripping jaws 69, and are moved by the springs 80 into engagement with the stop pins 83 when the device is in it normal unoperative position (FIG. 5). In this position the cam elements 77 permit the stripping jaws 69 to be moved by the spring 74 to open position, providing ample clearance for the loading and unloading of armature components.

Means are provided for reciprocating the stripping jaws 69 and the carrier 60 through a predetermined distance sufiicient to effect the stripping of the hinge spring 15 from the armature 16 which means includes an actuating lever 86 (FIG. 1) pivotally connected at one end through a pin and slot connection 87 to lugs 88 on the end wall 65 of the carrier 60. The lever 86 is pivotally supported intermediate its end on a bracket 90 on the frame plate 26, and at its other end the lever 86 is bifurcated and pivotally connected at 91 to a cylinder 93 of a fluid operated actuator 94, the piston 95 of which has its piston rod 96 pivotally connected at 97 to a bracket 98 on the stationary frame plate 26. A spring 99 urges the lever 86 in a direction to effect the return of the carrier 60 to its normal retracted position. Compressed air from a supply line 102 is admitted to one end of the cylinder '94 under control of a valve 104 to effect the operation of the actuator 94 and the forward stripping movement of the carrier 60 and the stripping jaws 69. The valve 104 is mounted on the stationary frame plate 26 and is actuated by one end of the lever 39 in response to movement thereof to operative position.

If it is assumed that a batch of defective long armature components is being processed with the present device, to remove the hinge springs 15 therefrom, the operator takes one of the armature components and places it in the slot 27 of the holder 25 and moves it against the end surface 28, after which the operator engages the handle 56 and moves the lever 39 to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 to advance the latching bar 32 into operative position to lock the armature 16 in position on the holder 25 with the legs of the armature disposed between the stripping jaws 69 and with the overlapping portions 18 of the spring 115 disposed in advance of and in close proximity to the ends 70 of the stripping jaws. The actuation of the lever 39 also trips the valve 104 to admit compressed air into the end of the actuator 94 to effect the movement of the cylinder 93 upward relative to the stationary piston and to effect the forward movement of the carrier 60 and the stripping jaws 69 through a predetermined distance sufficient to strip the overlapping portions 18 of the spring 15 from the armature 16. I

During a portion of the forward movement of the carrier 60 and the stripping jaws 69 from the normal unoperative position of the device as shown in FIG. 5, the carrier 60 and the stripping jaws 69 will move relative to the cam elements 77 and the forward ends 70 of the jaws 69 will be cammed toward each other into engagement with opposite sides of the legs of the armature 16 by the sloping surfaces 78 on the cam elements 77. The cam elements 77 which are positioned between and slidably engageable with the stripping jaws 69 and the side Walls 63 and 64 of the carrier 6%, serves, first, to cam the forward ends of the stripping jaws into operative position in engagement with opposite sides of the armature 16, and thereafter to effect a connection with the stripping jaws 69 and the carrier 66" for movement therewith during the remainder of the stroke to maintain the ends 70 of the stripping jaws in engagement with the opposite sides of the armature 16 during the stripping of the hinge spring 15 from the armature.

On completion of the stripping of thehinge spring 15 from the armature 16, the lever 39 is manually returned to its normal unoperative position to withdraw the latching block 32 and release the armature 16 and also to release the valve 104 and effect the return movement of the carrier 60 to its normal retracted position and the restoration of the stripping jaws 69 and the cam elements 77 to their normal positions.

When it is necessary to process the armature components having the short armatures, the latch 44 is ro tated one-half turn from the position shown in FIG. 5 to release the upturned end 37 of the rod 36, and the latching bar 32 is advanced across the slot 28 to its operative position as shown in FIG. 9 to serve as a stop for positioning the short armature 16. Thereafter, the operation of removing the hinge springs 15 from the short armatures 16 is the same as that for removing the springs from the long armatures, the latch bar 50 serving to lock the armature 16 in position in the holder 15.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for stripping a part from a fiat side of an article comprising a holder for supporting such an article in a fixed position, a carrier, mounting means for supporting said holder and for supporting said carrier in a retracted position relative to said holder and for advance and return movement relative to said holder along a path parallel to the flat side of the article in said holder, a stripping jaw mounted pivotally on said carrier in a normal position in laterally spaced relation to the flat side of the article in said holder for advance movement with said carrier toward the part on the article and for pivotal movement from said normal position on said carrier into engagement with the flat side of the article, a cam element, means for supporting said cam element for movement with said carrier and said jaw and in engagement with said jaw and for supporting said cam element for advance movement relative to said carrier and to said jaw parallel'to said path, means for imparting movement to said carrier to effect the stripping of the part fromthe article, and yieldable means for holding said cam element against movement with said carrier during the initial portion of the advance movement of said carrier to effect relative movement between said cam element and said carrier and the pivotal movement of said jaw into engagement with the fiat side of the article, said cam element moving with said carrier and said jaw during the latter portion of the advance movement of said carrier and serving to hold said jaw in engagement with the flat side of the article as the jaw advances along the article and strips the part therefrom.

2. In a device for stripping parts from opposite parallel sides of flat articles, a carrier, mounting means for sup porting said carrier in a normal retracted position and for rectilinear movement along a predetermined path, a holder on said mounting means for supporting such an article in a fixed position thereon adjacent to said carrier and with the sides of the article parallel to said path, stripping jaws mounted pivotally on said carrier on opposite sides of the article in said holder in laterally spaced relation to the sides of the article for rectilinear movement with said carrier toward the parts on the article and for pivotal movement on said carrier transversely of said rectilinear movement into engagement with the sides of the article, a pair of cam elements for pivoting and for holding said jaws, a pair of guide members on said carrier on opposite sides of and in spaced relation to the article in said holder and to said stripping jaws and in parallel relation to each other and to the sides of the article, means for supporting said cam elements individually between and in engagement with one of said stripping jaws and one of said guide members for movement with the carrier and for supporting the cam elements for movement relative to the carrier along said guide members, means for moving said carrier from said retracted position to eflect the stripping of the parts from the article, and yieldable means for holding said cam elements against movement with said carrier during the initial portion of the movement of said carrier from said retracted position to effect relative movement between said cam elements and said stripping jaws and the pivotalmovement of said jaws into engagement with the sides of the article, said cam elements moving with said carrier and said jaws during the latter portion of the movement of said carrier and serving to hold said jaws in engagement with the article as the jaws advance along the article and strip the parts therefrom.

3. A device for stripping a part from a flat side of an article comprising, a holder for supporting such an article in a fixed position thereon, mounting means for supporting said holder, a carrier supported on said mounting means in a normal retracted position relative to said ,holder and the article therein and for forward and return movement relative to said holder and the article along a path parallel to the fiat side of the article, said carrier having a guide member thereon in laterally spaced and parallel relation to the flat side of the article in said holder, a stripping jaw mounted pivotally on said carrier between and in laterally spaced relation to said guide member and to the flat side of the article in said holder for forward movement with said carrier toward the part on the article and for pivotal movement relative to said carrier into engagement with the fiat side of the article, a cam element, .means for supporting said cam element between and in engagement with said jaw and said guide member on said carrier for movement with said carrier and said jaw and for movement relative to said carrier and said jaw along said guide member, a first resilient means for urging said jaw for pivotal movement away 6 from the article and against said cam element, a second resilient means for urging said cam element for return movement with said carrier, and means on said holder for stopping said cam element in a predetermined position during the return movement of said element with said carrier, said cam element being held by said second resilient means against movement with said carrier during the initial portion of the forward movement of said carrier to effect relative movement between said cam element and said carrier and the pivotal movement of said jaw into engagement with the flat side of the article and 'said cam element being movable with said carrier and said jaw during the latter portion of the forward movement of said carrier and serving to hold said jaw in engagement with the article as the jaw advances along the article and strips the part therefrom.

4. In a device for stripping parts from the legs of flat U-shaped articles, a member having an end surface and a slot extending longitudinally of the member from said end surface for receiving the U-shaped article, said slot having a positioning surface at the end thereof in spaced relation to said end surface and engageable with the closed end of a long U-shaped article having long legs of a predetermined length for positioning the long article with the part thereon located longitudinally of the member in a stripping position, a first latch mounted on said member for movement across the slot therein and between the legs of the article in abutting relation to the bite of the article and to the legs of the article for locking the article to said member and for locating the article in predetermined position in said slot and laterally of said member, said first latch being operable, when a long article is not in said slot of said member, to engage the closed end of a short U -shaped article having legs of a predetermined short length to position the short article with the part thereon located longitudinally of the member in said stripping position, a second latch mounted on said member for movement across the slot therein and between the legs of the short article in abutting relation to the bite oflthe short article and to the legs thereof for locking the short article to said member, a carrier, means for mounting said carrier for movement longitudinally of said member, means on said carrier for stripping the part from an article on said member in response to movement of said carrier, and means for moving said carrier.

5. A device for stripping parts from the legs of flat U-shaped articles comprising a tubular. carrier of rectangular cross section having a pair of parallel first walls for receiving such an article transversely therebetween and with the legs parallel thereto and a pair of parallel second walls extending transversely between said first walls, mounting means for supporting said carrier for forward and return movement along the axis of said carrier, an elongated holder of rectangular cross section mounted fixedly on said mounting means in telescoping relation within said carrier and having a pair of flat sides disposed in parallel and spaced relation to said pair of first walls of said carrier to provide spaces therebetween, said holder having an end and a slot extending from said end parallel to said axis and transversely of said pair of sides for receiving a U-shaped article therein with the legs of the U-shaped article and the parts thereon disposed in the spaces between said holder and said carrier, said slot having an end surface engageable with the closed end of the U-shaped article for locating the article and the parts thereon in a predetermined position relative to said holder in an axial direction, means on said holder for releasably locking the article to said holder, a pair of stripping jaws disposed in each of the spaces between said holder and said pair of first walls of said carrier, means for mounting said jaws pivotally on said pair of first walls on opposite sides of the slot in said holder and the article therein for forward movement with said carrier toward the parts on i 7 and said first walls of said carrier and individually between and in engagement with one of said jaws and one of said second walls of said carrier for axial movement with and relative to said carrier and said jaws, means for moving said carrier to effect the stripping of the parts from the article, resilient means for urging said cam elements in an axial direction for return movement With said carrier, means on said holder for stopping said cam elements in predetermined positions during the return movement of said cam elements with said carrier, and spring means for urging said jaws for pivotal movement away from the sides of the article, said cam elements being held by said resilient means against movement with References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,515,046 Kling July 11, 1950 

